BoatsFarr Phase 4

Farr Phase 4

Masthead Sloop · Fin w/bulb & Spade Rudder · First built 1988

A Bruce Farr-designed masthead sloop built for performance with a fin keel, bulb, and spade rudder

Designed by Bruce Farr, built by Binks Yacht Contructions.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin w/bulb & Spade Rudder

See her sail

The Farr Phase 4, on the water

The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.

Footage from 59° North Sailing

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

LivelySea-kindly

Her light displacement on a moderate beam gives 21 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 21
CoastalBluewater

2.11 — right around the 2.0 line, the edge between coastal and offshore.

Capsize screening 2.11
LightHeavy

172 — light for her waterline, so she is easily driven and quick to accelerate.

Displacement / length 172
EasygoingPowered-up

18.4 — plenty of sail for her weight; lively and quick to respond.

Sail area / displacement 18.4
TenderStiff

38% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 38%

Light and lively — happiest day-sailing and coastal-hopping in settled weather.

What the fleet has seen

The Farr Phase 4, as the fleet has seen it

Derived from the videos the fleet has analysed of this model. ▶ marks open the moment aboard.

The Farr PHASE 4 is a 12.0-meter masthead sloop designed by Bruce Farr and built by Binks Yacht Constructions from 1988 to the present. It features a fin keel with a bulb and a spade rudder, a beam of 3.8 meters, a draft of 1.7 meters, and a displacement of 5908 kg. The design has a sail area to displacement ratio of 18.4 and a comfort ratio of 20.5. Andy Schell of 59° North Sailing considers a sail-area-to-displacement ratio between 17 and 19 to be a "sweet spot" for offshore sailboats, placing the Farr PHASE 4 within this range.16:50

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen 91 times across 3 channels of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

On the water

The Farr Phase 4 on video

Props // RerunFalcon's Maxprop blade-cutting dilemma anchors a deep dive into cruising propeller selection and Autoprop mechanics.59° North SailingFull Stack 59° NorthAndy Schell rebuilds 59 North's platforms into one Airtable-driven system at maps.59-north.com.59° North SailingPassage Planning // Bergen - TorshavnIsbjorn's Bergen-to-Tórshavn routing session covers oil rigs, RAK currents app, and Shetland stopover options.59° North SailingOn the Wind TV // Matt Rutherford Around the Arctic Ocean!Matt Rutherford navigates the Arctic solo, testing engine bleeding procedures and satellite connectivity for his research expedition.59° North SailingMatt Rutherford // Far North of RussiaMatt Rutherford navigates his Valiant 42 through the Arctic, managing satellite communications and ice hazards near Russia.59° North SailingWill Sofrin // The Nazi Origins of the USCG EAGLEEagle's engine room was built as an exact U-boat replica so German cadets could transfer directly to submarine service.59° North SailingJimmy Cornell // The Godfather of Offshore CruisingJimmy Cornell, founder of the ARC Rally in 1986, discusses his new offline route-planning app replacing World Cruising Routes.59° North SailingGunnar Christensen // From Yacht Captain to Golden Globe SailorCareer yacht captain Gunnar Kristiansen explains his Hans Christian 34 choice for the Golden Globe Race.59° North SailingConrad Humphries // Captain Bligh & Rounding Cape HornConrad Humphreys on breaking a rudder in the Vendée Globe and leading the Captain Bligh re-enactment voyage.59° North SailingBen Doerr // "Hose it or Lose it!"A fisherman's blunt advice — "hose it or lose it" — saved a boat from an electrical engine fire in Alaska.59° North SailingJoJo Pickering // Celestial Navigation Nerd-OutAndy Schell navigated BVI to Bermuda purely on celestial, avoiding the island's northern reef on approach.59° North SailingBoat Shopping LIVE! With Andy & AugustAndy Schell and August Sandberg evaluate a $35,000 Ted Brewer custom one-off against Craigslist listing red flags.59° North Sailing

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
37.6%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
18.4
Displacement / length
171.8
Comfort ratio
20.5
Capsize screening
2.11
Hull speed
7.6 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1430
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/bulb & spade rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1988
Designer
Bruce Farr
Builder
Binks Yacht Contructions

Boats like this, on the water

More boats like her, on the water

Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.

Faurby 39311.96 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA slender, high-performance fractional sloop designed by Niels Peter Faurby for balanced, stiff sailing.
ALMA Globe 5.80 Boat Tour: Niels Kamphuis | 163 Biggest Monkey NL - follow CG580 Youtube for more0:39from Golden Globe Race Official
Arcona 40011.98 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 12-metre performance cruiser with a deep 2.4-metre bulb keel and a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio.
Nils Eldby - the extreme weather went better than feared11:44from SEILmagasinet
Beneteau First 40.711.96 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 1997 Bruce Farr design featuring a 2.36-metre draft and a stiff, performance-oriented displacement-to-ballast ratio
TWO Oyster Yachts Lost Their Keels. WHY?12:06from All About Sailing
Beneteau Cyclades 39.311.97 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA spacious fractional sloop designed by Berret-Racoupeau specifically for the charter trade
I'm hauling the boat out of the water in Malaysia34:05from pabloberrusails
Viko S 3512.00 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 12-metre fractional sloop with a 1.95-metre fin keel and bulb, designed for modern performance and coastal cruising
An Italian Go Fast Sailboat - The Viko S 35 | Boat Tour0:45from Practical Sailor
Beneteau Oceanis 39311.99 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA high-volume masthead sloop designed by Berret-Racoupeau for comfortable cruising, also marketed as the Moorings 403
Beneteau Oceanis 393 - A Yacht Delivery from Southampton to London0:29from Halcyon Yachts - International Yacht Delivery

The family

Boats like this

Nearby designs by size, type, and era — worth a look alongside her.

Farr 1020A Bruce Farr design #121 fractional sloop built for performance with a high sail area-to-displacement ratioFarr 400A high-performance fractional sloop by Bruce Farr featuring a lifting keel and a high sail area-to-displacement ratioFarr 7500A 1979 trailerable fractional sloop with a 1.8-metre draft, designed for agile handling in a light 1,150kg packageFarr 395A high-performance fractional sloop by Bruce Farr featuring a light displacement and aggressive sail area for competitive racingFarr 40 One-DesignA Bruce Farr-designed fractional sloop built for pure one-design racing with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

Search what's been said about the Farr Phase 4, or ask a specific question — the answer comes back written out, with links to the moments it draws on.

Search the fleet for boats like thisAsk the fleet about the Farr Phase 4

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